Toyota, BMW To Work Together On Greener Car Battery

TOKYO -- Auto giants Toyota and BMW said Thursday they have agreed to collaborate on research for cleaner, next-generation car batteries, underlining the growing push in the industry for green technology.

The agreement brings together Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's No. 1 carmaker and a leader in gas-electric hybrids, and BMW AG of Germany, a European maker that has a strong luxury brand image in both Japan and Europe.

"We are now joining forces to further develop environmentally-friendly technologies and to expand our innovation leadership in each of our segments," Norbert Reithofer, chairman of BMW, said in a statement.

The two automakers will also work on improving lithium-ion battery technology, typically used in batteries for electronic gadgets and relatively new to autos.

Toyota has struggled to find a good lithium-ion battery for its green cars and is using technology from Japanese electronics maker Sanyo Electric Co. in its latest plug-in hybrid, for which Toyota has recently started taking orders. Toyota had worked with Panasonic Corp. on a battery before the electronics maker acquired Sanyo, partly to get better lithium-ion technology.

"This collaboration will allow for the development of the next-generation battery faster and at a higher level," Toyota Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada told reporters at a Tokyo news conference.

Toyota and BMW have been engaged in extended discussions on technology and plan to collaborate on other medium-term and long-term projects, he said.

BMW will also begin supplying "clean" diesel engines to Toyota in 2014 for models for the European market. Diesel engines for passenger cars are huge in Europe but have yet to take off in the U.S. or Japan, the two major markets where Toyota is strong. Toyota does not have enough clean diesel engines for its European offerings.

Under their agreement, BMW is supplying 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter fuel-efficient diesel engines for Toyota. They declined to give details on models.

The announcement was timed with the Tokyo Motor Show, which opens to the public Saturday.

Competition in new batteries is expected to heat up in coming years amid growing concern about global warming. Governments around the world are offering tax breaks and subsidies to encourage electric cars and plug-ins.

BMW said it is entering its first collaboration with a Japanese automaker because of Toyota's prowess in hybrids.

Toyota has sold more than 3.4 million hybrids worldwide so far, including models other than the pioneering hit Prius.

Toyota does not have an electric vehicle in its commercial lineup, although it is planning one for next year, for commuting short distances.

Japanese rival Nissan Motor Co. has made EVs the pillar of its green strategy and has a head start, offering the Leaf electric car from last year.

But electric vehicles are still a fledgling technology, meaning the race has just begun and others like Toyota and BMW can play catchup.

Nissan has sold about 20,000 Leaf cars around the world so far.

Toyota and BMW executives said sharing research can speed up development.

"The agreement between our two companies marks a milestone for our future collaborations," said Ian Robertson, a BMW board member who oversees sales and marketing.

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Comments

[Genders]

10:18 PM on 12/04/2011

Pure electric cars are a bad idea. Lithium is the only material we have for making the batteries that power all our portable devices, cars included. Going from 30 miles electric plug in hybrids only save about 10% of the fuel used in cars, since 90% if commuting 20 miles or less. Yet is uses some 6 to 10 times as much lithium battery do do that. Lithium is a limited resource for now. We can recycle it, so long term it's not a problem. But short term it is. If we go all electric, we can only grow 1/10 as fast as if we go plug in hybrid. The plug in hybrids will cut oil use by 90%. The all electrics will only come online 1/10 as fast, so even though they use no oil, they will only replace 10% of the oil by the time hybrids replace 90%.

For the user, all electrics have a range problem, even 300 miles doesn't help, since you can't fill it up with fuel, and will have to stop overnight for recharge. God help you if you run out of power on the road, you will have to be towed.

Plug in hybrids are the correct solution for now.

[EcnelisDoogod]

03:56 PM on 12/05/2011

Correct, as usual, Genders. I want a Honda or Toyota plugin hybrid, but all that the market allows is the Chevy Zero at 40k, or the 100k+ Tesla all electric? Why doesn't the market kicky to fill this obvious sweet spot?

[Genders]

08:56 PM on 12/05/2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug-in_hybrid#Current_production_models

Read down, a whole bunch are due out in the next few years.

The plug in hybrids require another converter from the AC which should only add a couple hundred dollars at most.

[Humanity Beyond Profits]

04:16 AM on 12/03/2011

Its great concept and I think there is certainly the demand, its just the recharge ability accessibility

I hope soon there will be much more electric charges around and longer lasting batteries.

[old soil guy]

10:12 PM on 12/02/2011

All the parking lots of large businesses could install covers with solar panels to recharge cars. Especially where the sun always shines and it's hot. Your car is in the shade and getting a free solar charge. Prius doesn't have solar panels on the roof because they wouldn't provide enough charge to make much difference. Maybe someday.

[Kenz300]

09:51 PM on 12/02/2011

Bring on the electric, flex-fuel, hybrid, CNG, LNG and hydrogen fueled vehicles. We will need them all. It is time to end the oil monopoly on transportation fuels. The price of oil keeps rising. It is time to have some choice for fueling our transportation systems and end the oil monopoly.

[Aladdin Sane1]

08:10 PM on 12/02/2011

Does anyone know why the Prius does not have solar panels on its rooftop?